The Humane Research Trust is funding a research project to better understand the links between obesity and metabolic diseases. Researchers at the University of Bristol will use human tissue to shed light on the mechanisms that underly metabolic dysfunction and identify potential treatments for such diseases.
Obesity is a rising public health epidemic. Research has linked it with many conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Researchers are currently exploring the relationship between obesity and diseases affecting metabolism. However, we still do not have suitable treatments for those living with such conditions.
One recent finding that holds a lot of promise for developing new treatments is based on the revelation that metabolic diseases are related to a type of immune cell known as a macrophage. These immune cells protect our tissues by becoming activated against infection. However, in metabolic disease, these cells seem to be overactive, which could be an aggravating factor.
A lot of research looking at obesity and metabolic diseases involves the use of animals. These animals are typically fed very high fat diets or genetically modified, and then dissected to study the effect on their body. Dr Boussahel and her team of researchers at the University of Bristol believe making use of human models is the key to success in obesity and metabolic disease research.
“Researchers have been unable to translate animal findings to human outcomes,” said Dr Boussahel. “It is extremely difficult to create clinically relevant, long-standing obesity in animals. As a result, many promising therapies in animals have proven ineffective in human trials.” The Humane Research Trust is currently funding a research project led by Dr Boussahel. Her research group are using innovative techniques to grow fat tissue in the lab to help us learn more about obesity and metabolic diseases.
They have designed the fat tissue to be like human tissue, making it ideal for use in this kind of research. It contains the same cells, including macrophages, blood vessels, and displays signs of metabolic disease. The researchers are using the lab-grown tissue to better understand the mechanisms that underly metabolic dysfunction. Over the course of the research project, they will investigate the role of different enzymes, receptors, cellular interactions, and pathways.
Dr Boussahel believes that the project will provide insights that will enable researchers to design and test novel treatments for metabolic dysfunction. Additionally, the fact that the model is 3D bioprintable means other researchers and the pharmaceutical industry can easily use it. In this way, the research project has the potential to support the replacement of animal experiments more broadly.